He was barely able to recognise the Kobold Camp. To begin with, it was at least five times bigger now, and the buildings too were now different. Instead of dirt, rough stones and sticks, they used shaped bricks and panes to make square stone houses; some of them even had multiple floors; everything was overwhelmingly rectangular. The camp was surrounded by a ditch and then a thick but short wall. Outside the wall, farm plots were growing various mushrooms, but obviously they didn’t have enough to support the camp this big.

“This is impressive.” He praised the Kobolds.

“Yes-Yes, spiders helped to build. Come, let’s meet my wife.”

He didn’t know Kobold Leader was married. He followed the kobold deep into the camp, to the very centre of it. There was a large building, by the Kobold Standards it was equal to a mansion. Disappointingly so, the doors and spaces inside were still kobold sized, so he had no chance to see the inside.

“I’m back.” The kobold announced.

Out of the door's narrow gap, twelve little kobolds emerged pushing each other to be the first to hug their dad. The sight was heartwarming, or it would be so if not for what must have been the wife standing there with a sour look on her face. She approached the Kobold Leader with a wooden ladle in her hand.

“No-No.” She bonked the husband right on the head. “Been, missing for weeks! What were you up to.”

“Did very important things! Look, I brought you this.” The kobold handed a Fire Spirit Stone. “Now we can use fire like dragons.”

He wondered if the kobolds even have enough mana to turn the stone on, but the stone glowed and the fire began to dance in the kobold's wife’s hand. She didn’t seem to be hurt or burned by it.

Her grouchiness disappeared that instant. “Yes-Yes.” She kissed him on the snout.

“Later.” The kobold brushed the wife and the kids away. “Meet the Spider King!” The Kobold Leader pointed proudly with both of his hands.

“Eh?! But he’s not a spider.” The wife must have expected someone different. “And ugly!” She frowned at the human face.

“Hello.” He waved to the wife and the shy kids. “Despite how I look, I am the Spider King.”

“Yes-Yes.” The kobold snatched the ladle and bonked the wife on her head. “Be polite to the King.”

“It’s Okay Kobold Leader, she didn’t know.”

“I’m sorry. I’m from a different tribe.” The wife apologised anyway.

“Yes, two tribes joined to grow even bigger. Plenty of food around.” The Kobold nodded sagely.

“I guess that’s a good thing. I can always trade you more food. Actually, I am here to see if I can get even more ores somehow; the Drow will need it. Can you show me your mine?”

“Come.” The straight-to-business Kobold Leader motioned to follow.

“Don’t be late for dinner!” The wife threatened waving the ladle.

Just outside the Kobold Camp, there was a labyrinth of tunnels. Some were narrow fitting only a single kobold but others were big enough to fit even the Warrior Leader. They were walking down the biggest tunnel. He could see two kobolds pulling on a sack filled with ores; it looked heavy. Later, they took a branch in a wide tunnel and reached a dead end. There multiple kobolds were scratching at the wall with their claws pulling one boulder after the other straight out of the wall. It didn’t look like mining at all, it was almost magical.

“What is this technique.”

“Stone Shape.”

“Oh?”

“We use it to make bricks and pots too.”

The perk seemed quite effective at mining out the tunnels. “I was thinking of forging you some pickaxes, but do you even need those with that perk?”

The Kobold Leader shrugged.

“Regardless, I will tell my spiders to give you a hand. They will carry the ores and loose boulders for you making the job quicker.”

“Stone Spider and Glowing Spider too?”

“If you want them, yes.”

“Good! Spider friends are very useful. Stone Spider knows how to Stone Shape too and Darkness Spider can get the trapped kobolds out of the cave ins.” The kobold nodded pleased.

“Speaking about the Stone Shape. I might need to commission Stone Bricks from you.”

“Good! More food for us. How many?”

“Tens and tens of thousands.” He wasn’t joking.

“That sounds a lot.” The kobold seemed thoughtful.

“Can you do it?”

“We can do it, Yes-Yes, we have piles of spare stones.”

“Well, then I will buy them from you at a reasonable price.”

“We’ll start making them today.” The kobolds still seemed thoughtful.

“What's on your mind? Is there a problem I can help with?”

“No!” The kobold shouted out, but then calmed down in a second. “I need more kobolds. More! But the wife can give only so much. Will need to find another tribe and ask them to join.”

It seemed troublesome. “Sorry, If I am overworking you. Just do what you can.”

The thoughtfulness didn’t leave the Kobolds Leader’s face.

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“And if anything, just ask my spiders.”

They were back by the time for dinner. By the looks of it, he was expected to attend, because there was clearly a table set up just for him. It was stone made and laden with the local kobold cuisine: dishes made out of TomGrape, mushrooms and mystery meat.

Just before he sat down the kobold's wife approached him with a large pouch. “Tribute for the King.”

He opened the sack, and of course, it was filled with precious gems. “Thank you, but you know you don’t have to pay me tributes.”

“No-No, we do! You disappeared the Lamia.” She poured some soup into his bowl using the ladle.

“That’s not quite true. They’re just living on my farm at the moment.”

“As Slaves! Suits them well.”

These Kobolds needed to get outside the caves more often…

“I told the Kobold Leader that I and Lamia are allies, and they won’t bother you anymore. What have you been telling to your wife?”

The Kobold Leader looked away unwilling to meet the gaze.

“Anyway, I will take this gift. But really you don’t need to pay tributes, we can just trade.”

“Nonsense! Tribute is the Kobold way.”

“Yes-Yes, as the King might say – it’s our culture.”

There was no need to argue, he put the gems inside the inventory. And then he tried that Kobold soup.

“This is amazing. What did you put in it? Wait… I would rather not know.” He finished the delicious bowl.

…

On his way back he took a lot of stone pots and jugs, all made by kobolds. With such containers, he will be able to store TomGrape juice and have proper dishes for other drinks. There was still one thing to do here, and that was to plant the Living Wood Seed. He did that just outside the caves, right by the entrance. The reason was that, as the Drow had said, the seed needed sunlight, but also he expected its roots to reach the mana spring. He had high hopes for this plant.

With that done he mounted the Spider Leader, his stead dashed quickly taking him back to the farm in no time at all. There he was greeted by the usual bunch, but also by the Lamia Queen. She was wearing her best dress and had a wide toothy smile.

“The King has returned! SSS.” She announced to everyone the obvious. “There is a feast for you-sss.” She pointed at the throne room. Multiple lamias bordered the path from the right and left, leaving no space for escape.

It was unusual for her to greet him like so, and even more unusual to hold a feast. The last time he remembered was when he slayed The Worm.

“What is this about?” He asked curiously.

“I just missed you, that’s-sss all. Please come.” She urged.

Inside the throne room, there was a very long table; It was decorated with blue cloth and on it was the usual festive food: the usual fruits, the forest bounty and cooked boar meat.

“What are we celebrating?”

“Your return.” The lamia hissed putting the cute face on.

He sat down, feeling slightly out of place. Yes, he obtained spirit stones and build an amazing smeltery but was this worth celebrating?

“Here, have a drink.” She filled his cup with juice.

Normally it would be a servant left for such a task, but for some reason the Lamia Queen was tending to him today, which was completely out of her character.

“Okay, what did you do?”

“Nothing. SSS! I didn’t even sss-sit on your throne this time.” She hissed while pretending to be offended by the question. “Ask your advisor.” She gave the spider a meaningful look.

Trusty Advisor swallowed a chunk of the fruit he was enjoying promptly and then spoke without waiting for him to inquire. “The Lamia Queen. Was very good.”

He looked at the advisor but that was all he had to say apparently.

“Sss-see. I was good.” The lamia bobbed her head.

“Amm, Thanks?” He wasn’t sure where this was going so he looked at friendly lamia sitting all the way back at the far end of the table; she just gave him an apologetic look. “You want something don’t you?” He asked the Lamia Queen.

“What? No-sss. More juice?” She asked.

His cup was perfectly full so… “No.”

“A back rub maybe?”

The question threw him off. “What? Are you going to offer a bath next?” He asked jokingly.

“How did you sss… Do you want one?”

He looked at Queen Lamia suspiciously, she was definitely up for something. “No. I’ll pass.”

“SSS!” She just hissed. “Say… isn’t it a good time to bring the jelly out? To celebrate.”

He didn’t see a problem with that. “I guess we…”

“Then let me get it!” She slithered too quickly and knocked his chair with her tail.

“Aha! That’s what you after.” He remembered banning her from the slug jelly cupboard.

The lamia froze in her tracks. “No-sss.”

He stood up setting the chair straight. “Look in my eyes and tell me that again.”

She turned around but her red eyes were still pointing at the floor.

“So?” He encouraged.

She looked at his eyes. “No-sss…”

She was lying. “I thought so. So all of this was just to…” He looked at the not-so-trusty advisor. “And everyone went along with this?”

“She was very convincing.” Was his excuse. The lamias and spiders nodded in agreement.

“I can’t believe this! No slug jelly for everyone for a whole week.”

“Nooo!!!” The Lamia Queen fell to the ground. “SSS! I was good!” Her despair lasted only a moment. She slithered back to him and grasped him by the shoulders. “I’ll do anything!” She shook him. “Anything!” Fat tears pulled at the corners of her eyes.

“No is no.” He was adamant.

The tears dried like they weren’t there to begin with. “I’ll get it myself! SSS!” She slithered angrily towards the pantry.

“Stop her.” The trusty advisor commanded and the spiders arrested the lamia.

“No! Let me go!”

This was quite a scene. He worried that other lamias might jump to save their Queen, but after looking around it didn’t seem to be the case. The Queen was punching at the spiders and flailing her tail, but the lamias seemed if anything embarrassed about their Queen.

“Just put her in her room until her head clears.” He instructed. “So… she is addicted.” It was worrying.

“I’m not addicted!” He heard her shouting just before she was dragged out of the throne room.

“King, there is one more thing. A good thing.” The trusty adviser chirped in a lighter tone.

A small spider brought a parcel right to his seat. Judging from the symbol marking the wrapping he knew from where it was.

“So it’s finally here.” He looked at the contents, pulling them one by one on the table.

Others looked at him do it with equally keen interest and curiosity.

“So this must be a communication orb?” He looked surprised at the round crystal ball. “But there are no instructions. Unless…” he pulled out a scroll. It had a weird diagram on it and something he couldn’t read. He tried putting some mana into the orb but nothing happened, so he poured some into the scroll.

Which might have been a mistake. The scroll caught fire and turned to ash. Or maybe not. [Coordinates set.] From the ash, a small firebird poked its head and then fluttered its fiery wings to escape through the nearby window.

“Oh, I see.” The humans will know where to send their messenger birds now. “Now then.” He pulled a green stone out. “Nature Spirit Stone. What else is in there?” He took the rest out. “A miniature box?” He opened it and cool air flew from it. “Oh, it’s a fridge. But it’s very small. And this is?” He took out what appeared to be alchemical tools, vials and even a burner. “Oh, it produces flame on its own.” There was also some fine paper, a decorated quill and what he now recognised as a magical ink; the ink Drow made appeared to be denser and of much higher quality. “Hmm, I guess I asked for magical tools…” And he had gotten some samples.

“King. King.” The advisor was trying to get his attention.

The orb was buzzing in low hum and glowing in dim light.

“Huh? What do I do?” He put his hand on the orb and felt his mana to take a small dip.

“Sorcerer?” The questioning voice boomed filling the throne room, it was way too loud.

“Yes? Yes, I am listening.”

“I hear you found the orb successfully.”

“I didn’t think it would come with the first delivery.” He remembered them only mentioning it in the message.

“The foolish King was too quick to part with it. He’s a perfect puppet.” The human behind the voice boasted.

“Ah, yes. But, who am I talking with?”

“Give me a second.” The orb glowed brightly and from the light an image formed. There was a shape of an elderly bearded man, he was standing by a pedestal surrounded by nothing but dark stone walls, some dim candles and a banner of Black Hand hanging behind his back. “Sorcerer, it is I, Vumbeldor.”

“Oh! A visual projection. How do I do it?”

“Just pour some more mana in it. Just not too much.”

He did as asked. “Can you see me?”

“Oh! Sorcerer… Was I interrupting something?”

“Ah…” He realised that unlike the human he was surrounded by spiders and lamias, all gazing at the orb with wonder. “These are some of my friends and allies, please don’t mind them.”

“Lamia… I see. Then shall we discuss the important matters?”

“The trade, yes. By the way, do you have any interest in these?” He showed a red stone.

“Oh!” The Vumbeldor’s eyes lit up. “Those are even better than Nature Spirit Stones!”